# Montserrat Ruiz

Avelina Montserrat Conejo Ruiz (born February 3, 1993) is a Mexican mixed martial artist who competes in the women's Strawweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).

## Background

At the age of 16, Ruiz started practicing Olympic wrestling at the Técnica 1 in León, Guanajuato, later became a national selection, living for three years at the Centro Nacional de Alto Rendimiento (CNAR) in Mexico City and then made the leap to MMA. She was a 7-time national champion in Mexico.

## Mixed martial arts career
### Early career

Montserrat Ruiz made her professional MMA debut in 2014 at the Gladiators Coliseum, a promoter in Mexico. She achieved a winning streak of nine fights fighting under various MMA promotions in Mexico before entering the American circuit.

### Invicta FC

Ruiz made her promotional debut for Invicta FC against UFC vet Danielle Taylor at Invicta FC 33 on December 15, 2018. She lost the fight via unanimous decision.
After the loss to Danielle, she suffered an injury that kept her out of the cage for more than a year.
In her sophomore performance, Ruiz faced Janaisa Morandin on July 30, 2020, at Invicta FC 41: Morandin vs. Ruiz. She won the bout with ease through first round scarf hold keylock submission.
Ruiz was scheduled to face Emily Ducote for the vacant Invicta FC Strawweight Championship at Invicta FC 43, however on the day of the event, the fight was cancelled due to COVID precautions.

### Ultimate Fighting Championship

Ruiz made her UFC debut as a short notice replacement for Kay Hansen against Cheyanne Buys on March 20, 2021, at UFC on ESPN: Brunson vs. Holland. She won the bout via unanimous decision, keeping Buys in the headlock position for most of the bout.
Ruiz faced Amanda Lemos on July 17, 2021, at UFC on ESPN 26. Ruiz lost the fight via a technical knockout in round one.
Ruiz was scheduled to face Mallory Martin on December 4, 2021, at UFC on ESPN 31. However Ruiz was forced out of the event and she was replaced by Cheyanne Buys.
After a 2-year layoff, Ruiz faced Jaqueline Amorim on August 12, 2023, at UFC on ESPN: Luque vs. dos Anjos. She lost the fight via technical knockout in round three.
Ruiz faced Eduarda Moura, replacing So Yul Kim, on November 4, 2023, at UFC Fight Night 231. At the weigh-ins, Moura weighed in at 119.5 pounds, three and a half pounds over the strawweight non-title fight limit. The bout proceeded at catchweight and Moura was fined 30% of her purse which went to Ruiz. She lost the fight via technical knockout in the second round.

## Championships and accomplishments
### Mixed martial arts

* Ultimate Fighting Championship
** UFC.com Awards
*** 2021: Ranked #8 Upset of the Year vs. Cheyanne Vlismas
* Xtreme Fighters Latino
** XFL Strawweight Championship
* MAX Fights
** MAX Fights Strawweight Championship

## Mixed martial arts record

Professional record breakdown :
| 14 matches | 10 wins | 4 losses |
| By knockout | 3 | 3 |
| By submission | 2 | 0 |
| By decision | 5 | 1 |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
| Loss | 10–4 | Eduarda Moura | TKO (punches) | UFC Fight Night: Almeida vs. Lewis | November 4, 2023 | 2 | 2:14 | São Paulo, Brazil | Catchweight (119.5 lb) bout; Moura missed weight. |
| Loss | 10–3 | Jaqueline Amorim | TKO (elbows and punches) | UFC on ESPN: Luque vs. dos Anjos | August 12, 2023 | 3 | 3:41 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Loss | 10–2 | Amanda Lemos | TKO (punches) | UFC on ESPN: Makhachev vs. Moisés | July 17, 2021 | 1 | 0:35 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Win | 10–1 | Cheyanne Vlismas | Decision (unanimous) | UFC on ESPN: Brunson vs. Holland | March 20, 2021 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Win | 9–1 | Janaisa Morandin | Submission (scarf hold armlock) | Invicta FC 41: Morandin vs. Ruiz | July 30, 2020 | 1 | 3:28 | Kansas City, Kansas, United States | Performance of the Night. |
| Loss | 8–1 | Danielle Taylor | Decision (unanimous) | Invicta FC 33: Frey vs. Grusander II | December 15, 2018 | 3 | 5:00 | Kansas City, Missouri, United States | |
| Win | 8–0 | Sarai Saenz Flores | Decision (unanimous) | Xtreme Fighters Latino 36 | December 9, 2017 | 3 | 5:00 | Mexico City, Mexico | Won the XFL Strawweight Championship. |
| Win | 7–0 | Saray Orozco Rodriguez | Decision (unanimous) | The Art of Fighting: In Search of Glory | September 2, 2017 | 3 | 5:00 | Guadalajara, Mexico | |
| Win | 6–0 | Jazmin Gonzalez | TKO (punches) | MAX Fights: Battle On The Beach | June 11, 2016 | 1 | 1:18 | Zihuatanejo Mexico | Won the MAX Fights Strawweight Championship. |
| Win | 5–0 | Pamela Gonzalez | Submission (armbar) | MMA Madness 6 | December 5, 2015 | 2 | N/A | Mexico City, Mexico | Strawweight debut. |
| Win | 4–0 | Diana Reyes | TKO (punches) | Urban Fighting League 5 | February 28, 2015 | 2 | 3:28 | Cuautitlán Izcalli, Mexico | |
| Win | 3–0 | Paulette Reyes Hernandez | TKO (punches) | Maximum Cage Fighting VIP 5 | October 18, 2014 | 3 | 3:03 | Mexico City, Mexico | |
| Win | 2–0 | Annely Jimenez Garcia | Decision (unanimous) | Xtreme Kombat 25 | August 30, 2014 | 3 | 5:00 | Mexico City, Mexico | |
| Win | 1–0 | Lucy Moreno Murillo | Decision (split) | Gladiators Coliseum 10 | March 30, 2014 | 3 | 5:00 | León, Mexico | Flyweight debut. |